Outdoor sign construction



Jan. 1, 1957 w. MlLL ER, JR ,7 5

' OUTDOOR SIGN CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 20, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNE Y Jan. 1, 1957 w. N. MILLER, JR 2,775,834

OUTDOOR SIGN CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 20, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR. WiLLIAM N.Mu u-:R,JR.

A TTORNE Y Jan. 1, 1957 w. N. MILLER, JR 2,775,834

OUTDOOR SIGN CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 20,- 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 7s FlG 8- 73 INVENTOR. William N.Mi|ler, Jr.

YY WTP I m ATTYJ" United States Patent 0 "cc OUTDOOR SIGN CONSTRUCTION William N. Miller, Jr., Greenville, S. C. Application October 20, 1955, Serial No. 541,682

8 Claims. (Cl. 40-125) This invention relates to outdoor advertising and more particularly to improvements in the construction of billboards and constitutes a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 429,663, filed May 13, 1954, now abandoned.

As is well known to those having a knowledge of the outdoor advertising field the problem occasioned by posting and scraping at the sign site results in the consumption of many man hours and considerable wasting of the materials employed in the posting operation. Often billboards are located in almost inaccessible places necessitating the use of long handled brushes for the application of paste and the positioning of the poster as well as requiring the use of long handled implements for carrying out the scraping operation when removing the poster. An attempt has been made to do away with the use of long handled brushes and scrapers by utilizing ladders and scaffolding but this has not proved satisfactory since the bulky ladders and scaffolding are equally awkward and difiicult to manage as the long brushes and scrapers and the operation takes as long if not longer to achieve the desired results. The only advantage to be derived from this method is that a somewhat neater job of posting can be accomplished.

It is well known that considerable paste is lost during the conventional posting operation and that this paste runs down onto the frames of the billboards causing comparatively rapid deterioration of the painted surfaces thereof. Considerable. paste is spread on the poster surface and since the poster must be applied in sections, this causes the paste to run around the edges of the overlapping portions and then to be smeared as the brush smooths the poster. These unsightly smears become more pronounced as the sign is subjected to rain and weather. Due to awkward positioning of most billboards it is often difiicult to aline the sections of the poster making for distortion of the sign display, thereby making the display less effective.

Outdoor posting has the further disadvantage of being limited by weather conditions thus occasioning further loss of time of employees and delay in preparing the sign display. When employing the instant sign construction and method, the only limitation as to weather would be the difiiculty of positioning or hanging of the various panels on the billboards in high winds due to the lightness of the panel construction and the resulting difiiculty of manipulation of the panels.

Heretofore efforts have been made to post multiple panels and then secure these panels to billboards but these panels have been bulky and diflicult to handle. Efforts have also been made to post on foraminous face plates and to utilize a system, which forms a part of the billboard, for forcing fluid against the rear of the face plate. Such systems have proved impractical from the standpoint of construction and operation since in the first instance the panels Were too bulky to handle'eifectively and'the scraping operation was still necessary and in the second instance, the structure of the system was too costly and n 2,775,834 Patented Jan. 1, 1957.

difficult to maintain while still necessitating outdoor posting and its inherent problems as well as necessitating policing of the area around the sign after removing the posters.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a sign or billboard construction utilizing a light panel having a planar foraminous surface preferably of screen wire construction so that the posting operation may be carried out indoors or at a point remote from the billboard site prior to the positioning of the panels on billboards, so that these panels may be posted in advance and carried to the sign site When convenient.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a lightweight, portable posting member incombination with a support therefor in which the support is located at a site convenient for the display of advertising media and in which means are provided for readily placing the posting member on or removing it from the support member, and in which the posting member constitutes a selfsustaining, open, rigidifying frame having a flexible screen fixedly mounted thereon by means which maintains the screen rigidly thereon so as to present a flat front surface upon which a sheet of paper-like material bearing advertising media on one side is adhesively secured on its other side to the screen, the screen being so constructed as to present reticulated solid portions which are of narrow Width, as in the order of a window screen, and which define interstices therebetween which are closely spaced and which expose a major portion of the rear surface of the sheet therethrough, the sheet having substantially linear adhesive contact with the solid portions of the screen whereby while such contact serves to properly maintain the sheet on the screen, it also enables the sheet to be readily removed therefrom by fluid applied through the interstices of the screen to the exposed portions of the sheet and about the solid portions of the screen to which the sheet is adhered.

It is another object of this invention to provide a billboard construction employing light, easily portable panels having a foraminous surface for supporting the poster so that the entire panel may be removed from the billboard and the poster removed from the panel by directing a fluid medium against the rear of the surface of the poster or posters thus preparing the sign for reuse and avoiding the customary scraping operation at the sign site. Of course, this also makes it unnecessary to police the area around the sign since when employing the present construction and method none of the rubbish is present which is attendant upon the customary scraping operation since the poster will be removed indoors.

Another object of this invention is to provide a sign panel construction employing a foraminous planar surface of light construction making possible indoor posting and convenient transportation of the posted panel to the sign site and, further, making it relatively simple to remove the panel from the billboard and then to remove the poster from the panel thus avoiding the inconveniences of outdoor posting and outdoor scraping thus saving large amounts of time, labor and material.

A further object of this invention is to permit the posting of outdoor billboards while the sign panel is located indoors so as to achieve a neater posting job with less expenditure of materials and one which will withstand the deteriorating effects of weather without the usual running of paste and the resulting streaked appearance of the sign display since the panel is readily accessible and excess paste can be wiped away conveniently without smearing the sign.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved outdoor advertising construction in conformity with the preceding objects in which the rigidifying frame. includes an outer bordering frame which is provided with horizontal and vertical rigidifying members which separate the rigidifying frame into a series of side-by-side openings each of which has a screen mesh secured in taut covering relation thereto with the portions of the bordering frame and the rigidifying members surrounding each opening provided with means for maintaining the screens in such taut relation so as to present coplanar surfaces upon which the sheet of paper-like material is to be mounted and in which such means is so related to the screens as to hold the same in their marginal portions in spaced relation to the major portions of such bordering members whereby the fluid for removing the sheet may readily be applied through the interstices of the screen and against substantially all of the exposed surfaces of the sheet.

I accomplish these and other objects of my invention by providing an outdoor billboard construction including a conventional billboard frame having molding secured to the top and bottom of the billboard frame defining a space between the molding for the reception of a sign panel. A frame constructed of relatively light extruded structural shapes of metal is provided with a foramnious surface covering one side of the frame to form a panel so that a poster may be secured adhesively to the foraminous surface and the panel positioned within the space provided by the molding.

Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of an improved type of rigidifying frame in which the bordering members thereof are constructed of angle members in which the free legs thereof are disposed at angles less than 90 to the remaining legs thereof so that when a sheet of paper-like material is adhesively secured to the screening and is subsequently dried, the drying action of the sheet and the consequent shrinkage thereof is incapable of twisting the frame such that the angle of the said free legs will assume a relationship greater than 90 with respect to the plane of the screening.

Some of the objects having been stated above, others will appear to those skilled in the art relating to outdoor advertising when the specification is read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged view of a corner portion of a sign panel constructed according to my invention showing a poster partially positioned thereon;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an outdoor billboard showing panels constructed according to my invention being positioned thereon;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 2 and showing, in conjunction with Fig. 3, a preferred method of positioning the panel on the billboard;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the sign panels showing means for positioning and fastening the two panels closely adjacent one another;

Fig. 6 is a view taken substantially along the line 6-6 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing one of the means for removing the poster from the panel after returning the panel indoors;

Fig. 8 is a front elevational view of a modified form of posting member constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the plane of line 9-9 in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view through one corner of the member shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. ll is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the member shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 12 is a greatly enlarged sectional view showing the manner in which the paper-like sheet of material is adhesively secured to the solid portions of the screen and illustrating the manner in which the major portion of the sheet is exposed through the interstices of the screen;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged sectional view taken along section line 13-13 in Fig. 5.

Referring more specifically at this time to Fig. l, the sign poster or sheet of paper-like material 10 bearing advertising media on one side thereof is shown being positioned on the light, portable panel designated generally by the reference character 12. The portable panel, together with the sheet 10 secured thereon, may be termed and are hereinafter referred to as the posting member. The manner of securing the sheet to the panel is by adhesive material in the form of glue or paste and is preferably applied to the rear surface of the poster or sheet 10 after which the sheet is placed on the panel and permitted to dry.

Conventional billboard posters are of rather large area, usually being of approximately nine feet in height and approximately twenty feet in length. It, therefore, must be understood that it is preferable to utilize two or more frame members, such frame members being indicated by the reference characters 12 and 12' in Figs. 2 and 5, in which embodiment the use of two such frames is employed.

The manner of construction of the panels is shown most clearly in Figs. 5 and 6 and each will be seen to consist of top and bottom chords 36 and 38 interconnected at their opposite ends by the vertically disposed members 40 and 42, all of which members are rigidly interconnected at their corner portions and which constitute the outer border of each frame. In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5, there is provided a single horizontal bracing member 44 which extends between and is secured at its opposite ends to the two vertical members 49 and 42 and there are also provided a plurality of vertical members 46 which extend between the two chord members 36 and 38 and the bracing member 44. The two chord members 36 and 38, as well as the vertical members 40 and 42 are of angle configuration as will be most readily apparent from Figs. 3, 4 and 13. Each includes a rearwardly extending free leg portion a and an inturned leg portion b, the latter of which in each case carries an attaching means indicated generally by the reference character 47.

The attaching means 47 includes a web portion 47a which is secured by means of suitable fasteners 47b to the inner surface of an associated inturned leg b and which projects therebeyond to terminate along its free edge in an upstanding and outwardly projecting rib portion 47c which is disposed in spaced parallelism with a further rib portion 47d which form therebetween a channel 470. The rib 470 has an inturned lip 47 f forming a constriction or restricted entrance to the channel 47c and the rib 47d also has a laterally projecting lip 47g which overlaps an edge portion of the inturned leg I) to enhance the securement of the attaching means 47 thereto.

The mesh screening 14 which forms a covering for the rigidifying frame 12 or 12 is rigidly secured at marginal edge portions to the various chord members 36 and 3S and vertical members 40 and 42 by means of the attaching means 47, this being accomplished in any desired manner but preferably by the use of a flexible plastic strip 4712 which is forcibly inserted into the channel 47c along with the screening as will be most clearly apparent in Fig. 13.

Each of the vertical members 46 and the horizontal member 44 are, on the other hand, formed of channel configuration as is shown most clearly in Fig. 6 and each has provided on the front face of the web 44a thereof a pair of attaching means 48 and 50 rigidly secured thereto as by the fasteners 52. The attaching means #58 and 50 are preferably in the form of extrusions having flanges 48b and 50b through which the fasteners 52 are projected and each has a longitudinal recess as indicated by the reference characters 48a and 50a which are defined between a pair of upstanding rib portions 43c, 48d and 50c, 50d.

The two ribs 48d and 50d have inturned lip portions 48e and 502 which form constrictions to the entrances of the recesses 48a and 50a in a manner similar to the fastening means or attaching means 47 described in conjunction with Fig. 13. The various ribs 47c, 48c and 500 are all formed of a uniform height such that their outer surfaces are coplanar. Consequently, when the screening is mounted, all the various portions thereof which form the mounting surface 14 are coplanar and form a flat front surface upon which the sheet 10 is mounted. Of course, the screening 14 is actually formed from a plurality of separate sections such as those indicated by the reference characters 14:: and 14b in Figs. and 6. In other words, in the specific embodiment shown in Fig. 5, there are actually eight separate screen panels which serve to form the screening 14 against which the sign sheet is attached.

Of course, the marginal edges of the various screening panels 14a, 141), etc. where they are secured to the various vertical members 46 and the horizontal member 44, utilize, as will be seen from a comparison of Figs. 6 and 13, similar fastening means, the splines 54 being utilized in conjunction with the various members 44 and 46.

It will be noted that in Fig. 6, the ribs 480 and 500 are of sufficient height as to position the screen panels 14a and 14b a substantial distance away from the outer face of the panel webs 44a and leave the gaps 48] and 50 as indicated. This is important since it enhances the ready removal of the signal sheet 10 from the outer surface of the various panels 14a, 14b, etc., when such removal is necessary. That is, these gaps 48) and 50 permit the fluid which is applied to the rear surface of the various panels 14a, 14b, etc. to contact substantially all of the surface of the sign sheet which is exposed to the interstices of the screen. This is graphically illustrated in Fig. 12 wherein the reference numerals 14, 14", 14" and 14" indicate adjacent strands or solid portions of the screen material. The sign sheet 10 will be seen to contact and be adhered to the outer face defined by such solid portions leaving the material portion of the rear face of the sign sheet 10 which is exposed between the interstices between the solid portions. Of course, it will be appreciated that the illus v tration in Fig. 12 is on a much enlarged scale, bearing in mind that it is preferable to use screen material having approximately the mesh used in ordinary window screening but Fig. 12 does serve to illustrate that the amount or area of sign sheet material which is in contact with and is adhesively secured to the solid portions of the screen is materially less than the surface area of the sign sheet which is exposed through the interstices of the screen. Therefore, it will be readily apparent that the application of a fluid through the rear side of the screening material is capable of very quickly and readily removing the sign sheet 19 from the solid portions of the screening material. It is important to note also that the screening material is of such character that its solid portions, which of necessity are of narrow dimension, are very closely spaced so that although the contact area between the sheet 10 and such solid portions is very small, the very closeness of the spacing of the solid portions permits a good adhesive bond to be had between the sheet and such solid portions. Fig. 12 also serves to illustrate that the contact between the sheet 10 and the various strands 14, 14 etc. or solid. portions, is of substantially linear character. Note also that with the circular cross sectional area of the various solid portions, fluid applied through the rear face of the screening is actually capable of working around such solid portions and directly against the pointof contact between the sheet and the solid portions.

Although it is preferred that the screen material be constructed of metal, it is conceivable and perfectly possible that plastics or other suitable material may be utilized.

Fig 7 illustrates the use of a nozzle 62 for directing the poster sheet 10 from the front face thereof. However, any suitable means may be employed to dissolve the plastic medium, such as water or even a blast of air under sufficient high pressure. One method also contemplated utilizes an adhesive which is not miscible with water under ordinary circumstances but which requires the use of an agent to make it miscible with water. With this adhesive, water is used with which the agent has been mixed and then the adhesive is introduced to form a glue or paste, the mixture being initially in powdered form. The agent is of such character than when the glue or paste dries, the agent volatilizes and the hardened glue or paste is itself substantially insoluble in water so that when the posting member is secured on its associated billboard 16, the effect of rain or moisture is not deleterious. When it is desired to remove the sign panel utilizing such adhesive, water having the mentioned agent mixed therewith is used to dissolve the hardened glue or paste.

The billboard 16 may be constructed in any desired and conventional manner and may include a generally rectangular bordering frame 18 as shown in Fig. 2, such frame utilizing any conventional construction such as that shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The bordering frame is filled in by a face plate member 21 which serves both the function of preventing moisture from contacting the rear face of the posting member and also to provide a background therefor. This latter function is important when his realized that the paper used for the sign or the sheet 10 is relatively thin under ordinary circumstances and is, therefore, translucent. For this reason, the face plate 2th is prefer-ably of a relatively dark color so as to provide a good background for the posting member.

It is preferred that a pair of vertically spaced, parallel, horizontal molding strips 24 and 26 be utilized for holding the posting members in place. These molding strips 24 and 26 are rigidly secured in place as by utilizing fasteners 23 and 3t? as seen most clearly in Figs. 3 and 4 and it will be seen from these figures that the molding strips have portions 24a and 26a projecting angularly outwardly from the bordering frame 18 which terminate in the inturned vertical portions 24b and 26b. The portion 24b is longer than the corresponding portion 26b so that the space between the inturned portion 24b and the frame 18 has more depth than the space defined between the vertical portion 26b and the frame 18, thus permitting the panels 12 and 12' to be initially inserted by pushing their upper edges upwardly at an angle (as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3) between the molding 24 and the frame 18 and then permitting the lower edge of the panel 12 to be positioned in the space defined by the lower molding 26, after which the panel is lowered into place such that its lower chord 33 rests upon the member 26a as isillustrated in Fig. 4 at which time its upper cord 36 will be positioned as shown in full lines in Fig. 3 thus retaining the panel in place.

Preferably, the corner extensions such as those indicated by the reference characters 240 and 26c in Fig. 2 are utilized in conjunction with the horizontal molding strips 24 and 26 to serve as stop members or lateral positioning means for the posting members when they are placed in proper position on the billboard.

The lower chord 38 of each panel is provided with a number of spaced apertures 13 to permit the use of the tool 13 as illustrated in Fig. 2 for easier manipulation of the posting members. Of course, removal of the panel is effected by reversal of the steps above mentioned, as will be readily apparent.

The posting member 12 has secured in vertically spaced relation along its member 40 a plurality of pin-s 32 which, as will be seen most clearly in Fig. 5, project downwardly and outwardly at an angle therefrom. These pins are preferably carried by plate members 34 fixed to the inner surface of the legs a of the members 40. The posting member 12 has, on the other hand, a series of plate members 55 disposed in vertically spaced relation thereon corresponding to the plates 34 but which latter plates 55,

I together with the corresponding legs a, are provided with countersunk apertures through which the pins 32 may be projected. Of course, due to the downwardly angulated relation of the pins 32, it is necessary to have the posting member 12 in raised position when the pins are initially inserted into the apertures and, thereafter, the posting member 12 may be lowered to effect the full penetration of the pins and the interlocking action thereby attained will be seen to lock the posting members 12 and 12' together.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. l wherein a modified form of construction is shown, it will be seen that the portable panel 70 illustrated therein utilizes opposite vertical side members 71 and 72 which are interconnected at their upper and lower ends respectively by the top and bottom member 73 and 74. There also provided two horizontal rigidi ying or braci 3 members 75 and 76 and a. single vertical bracing member '77, and each of the open squares defined by these various members, six in number in the specific embodiment shown, is covered by a separate screen panel as for example, the panels 78 and 79.

The various bordering members 71, 72, 7'3 and 74 are mitcred at their opposite ends as shown most clearly in Fig. and closely interfitted and are rigidly secured together by means of the angle strips formed by the two leg portions 80 and 81 and fitted against the inner surfaces of the leg portions 82 and 83 of the various bordering members. The angle braces are rigidly fastened to such legs 82 and 83 by means of the fastening members 8-4 and 35, as illustrated. All of the members 7174 inclusive are preferably formed of light-weight extrusions such as aluminum and each includes, in addition to the previously mentioned leg portions 82 or 83, an inturned short flange portion 86 on the rear side thereof and an inturned flange 87 on the front face thereof. The front flange 87 includes the border surface 82; having an inwardly inset channel 2'59 formed therein as defined between the two rib members 90 and 91 with the rib 91 being inset somewhat from the bordering surface 88 as illustrated most clearly in Fig. 9 so that when the screen panel 92 is applied thereto, its flat surface will be substantially coplanar with the bordering surface 88.

The front flange also includes the rearwardly offset attaching lip portion 93 which is inset from the bordering surface 88 and is consequently spaced from the attached screening 92 as evidenced by the gap indicated by the reference character 94, this gap serving to enhance the removal of the poster sheet from the front face of the screening material 92 as previously described in conjunction with Fig. 6.

Each of the various rigidfying members 75, 76 and 77 is of generally channel shaped configuration as will be most clearly seen in Fig. 11 and these members, like the members 71-74 inclusive, are preferably formed of aluminum extrusions or other similar light-weight material. The members 75 in Fig. 11, for example, include a web portion 95 and a pair of rearwardly extending leg portions 96 and 97 with the front face of the web being provided with three integral, outstanding ribs 98, 99 and 100 thereon, which ribs define therebetwcen the channels 101 and 102 into which a spline member such as that indicated by reference character 103 may be inserted or jammed for retaining the screen panel 104- therein.

The opposite ends of all of the various members 75, 76 and 77 are provided with notches in their leg portions so as to leave a projecting web portion 105 as shown most clearly in Fig. 9, which web projection overlies the previously mentioned attaching lip 93 and is rigidly secured thereto as by the rivets 106. The member 77 includes a web 107 and the rearwardly extending legs 108 and 109 with the front face of the web being formed with ribs 110, 111 and 112 corresponding to the previously mentioned legs 98-100 inclusive and which form corresponding channels one of which is shown having the spline 113 inserted therein for retaining that marginal portion of the screen panel 104 intersecting the marginal portion retained by the spline 103.

Preferably, the horizontal rigidfying members and 75 are one piece whereas the vertical member 77 is actually constructed in three pieces, one between the members 73 and 75, another between the members 7 5 and 76 and the third between the members 74 and 76. With this construction, referring to Fig. 11, the legs 108 and 109 are notched along the line indicated by the reference character 114 to leave the forwardly projecting portion 115 which overlies the outer surface of the web 95, for example, of the rigidfying member 75 and which has rivets 116 projected therethrough for rigidly fastening the members together. This construction is repeated in the other portions of the vertical bracing member 77 as is illustrated by the next lower portion thereof 117 as indicated in Fig. 11. It will be appreciated that the height of the splines 110, 111 and 112 is slightly less than the height of the splines 98, 99, because it is desired that the outer surfaces of all of the splines be coplanar. Furthermore, it is preferred that the outside splines such as the splines 98 and 100 or the splines and 112, are of slightly less height than the intermediate splines 99 and 111 respectively so that the outer fiat surface of the screen panels is coplanar with the outer surface of the various intermediate splines 93, 111, etc., the purpose of this construction being presently apparent.

Similar to the previously described embodiment, the inner vertical bordering frame member 72 is provided with a pair of vertically spaced projecting pins 118 and 119 which, in the embodiment presently under consideration, project laterally from the associated vertical member 72 with no vertical inclination and which are adapted to be received in the countersunk apertures in an adjacent posting member or panel. The specific embodiment of the invention as shown in Fig. 8, for example, is intended for use particularly with a three panel construction having dimensions of approximately nine feet in height and six and one-half feet in width and it has been found that the construction shown in Fig. 8, for example, adequately serves the purpose and has sufficient rigidity to attain the desired results.

It will be noted that in Fig. 9, the rearwardly directed leg 82 is shown as inclined inwardly somewhat from the outer flange 87 or, in other words, forms less than 90 therewith. The purpose of this construction, which is employed with all of the various bordering members 71-74 inclusive, is to make allowance for the twisting effect which is imparted to the frame when a poster sheet is applied thereto and is subsequently dried. The poster sheet shrinks a substantial amount upon drying and naturally imparts a twisting effect to the frame which tends to cause the inner or rear edge 120 of the various legs 82 to move to the right in Fig. 9. This, in itself, has no detrimental effect on the frame but when two frames are brought into side-by-side engagement it will cause a line of departure to be observed therebetween which is unsightly, as the leg 82 is disposed at right angles to the front flange 87. This is because the posting paper covers the frames at least in the area of the outer edges all the way to the corner portions indicated by reference character 121 in Fig. 9. By initially inclining the leg 82 less than 90 to the front flange, drying of the poster sheet and consequent twisting of the frame will not be sufficient to cause a crack to appear at the corner portions 121. Although this inclined leg construction is necessary only along the abutting edges of the various panels, it is nevertheless carried out throughout the border of the frame for ease of assembly.

As previously described, it is desired that the intermediate splines 99, 111, etc. be of slightly greater height than the outside splines and to such an extent that their outer surfaces are substantially coplanar with the outer surfaces of the screen panels. This is desirable because when the poster sheet is applied, it is desired thatthe same contact and be adhered to the outer surface of the intermediate splines such that when the poster sheet is dried, the drawing effect thereof will not cause an unsightly depression or groove to appear. Such grooves do appear when the intermediate splines are not coplanar with the outer face of the screen panels and consequently do not hold the poster sheet in the same plane.

The size of the poster sheets may be varied somewhat and it is not always necessary to have them of such dimensions as to cover the bordering surfaces 88 of the various frame members 72, 73, 74, for example in Fig. 8, although it will be appreciated that they must cover the border surface 88 of the member 72 in that figure. This is permissible because the attaching of the supporting molding of the billboard itself may mask off a portion or all of the surfaces 88.

It has been found desirable to utilize at least two horizontal bracing members such as those indicated by the reference characters 75, 76 as well as at least one vertical bracing member 77 to prevent bowing of the border members 71-74 due to shrinkage of the poster panel when. it dries. Also, it has been found to be desirable to maintain the area of the various screen panels 78 and 7% relatively small in order to insure proper tautness thereof. Of course, the entire opening defined by the bordering members 71-74 could be covered with a single sheet of screen and, in some instances, this may be satisfactory although it is much more desirable to utilize the smaller size individual screens as specifically illustrated in Figs. 811. In actual practice, the various separate screen panels 78, 79, etc. are, when mounted on their various frame members as previously described, held in very taut relation so that a substantially rigid, fiat attaching surface is afforded thereby.

I claim:

1. A display device comprising in combination, a support member disposed at a site suitable for the display of advertising media, a posting member, a sheet of paper-like material bearing advertising media on one side, adhesive means securing said sheet of material on its other side to the front face of said posting member, and means removably securing the posting member to said support whereby the posting member together with the sheet of material may be placed on and removed from the support so that the removal of an old sheet and the posting of a new sheet may be effected at a point remote from the site of the support, said posting member comprising a rigid, open frame, a highly flexible and flaccid screen, and means fixedly mounting said screen on the rigidifying frame and maintaining the same in taut relation so as to present a flat front surface upon which said sheet is mounted, said screen being defined by narrow and closely spaced reticulated solid strand-like portions of uniform width throughout their lengths providing closely spaced interstices therebetween, the sheet having substantially complete and linear adhesive contact with the solid portions of said screen and thus exposing the remainder of the sheet through the interstices of the screen at its rear surface.

2. A display device comprising in combination, a support member disposed at a site suitable for the display of advertising media, a posting member, a sheet of paperlike material bearing advertising media on one side, adhesive means securing said sheet of material on its other side to the front face of said posting member, and means removably securing the posting member to said support whereby the posting member together with the sheet of material may be placed on and removed from the support so that the removal of an old sheet and the posting of a new sheet may be eifected at a point remote from the site of the support, said posting member comprising a rigid, open frame including an outer, rectangular border and a plurality of horizontal and vertical bracing members secured to such border and dividing the open rectangular space defined by the orderinto a plurality of smaller spaces, a separate fiexible'screen covering each of such smaller spaces, and means mounting each screen upon the frame members bounding the associated smaller space and maintaining the same in taut relation with the front faces of all the screen panels in coplanar relation and presenting a flat front surface upon which said sheet is mounted, said screen being defined by narrow and closely spaced reticulated solid portions providing closely limp screen, and means for rigidly securing the screen in taut covering relation on the framework to present a flat outer face upon which said sheet is adhesively secured, the sheet having advertising media on one side and being adhesively secured at its other side to the screen, said screen being defined by narrow and closely spaced reticulated and interwoven solid portions providing closely spaced interstices therebetween, the sheet having substantially complete and linear adhesive contact with the solid portions of said screen and thus exposing the remainder of the sheet through the interstices of the screen at its rear surface.

4. A display device comprising in combination, a support member disposed at a site suitable for the display of advertising media, a posting member, a sheet of paperlike material bearing advertising media on one side, adhesive means securing said sheet of material on its other side to the front face of said posting member, and means removably securing the posting member to said support whereby the posting member together with the sheet of material may be placed on and removed from the support so that the removal of an old sheet and the posting of a new sheet may be effected at a point remote from the site of the support, said posting member comprising a rigid, open frame including an outer, rectangular border and a plurality of horizontal and vertical bracing members secured within such border, and dividing the open rectangular space defined by the border into a plurality of smaller areas, a separate flexible screen covering each of such smaller areas, and means on the border and the bracing members securing said screens in taut, covering relation to said smaller areas and serving to hold the marginal edge portions of the screens in spaced relation to the border and bracing members, the front faces of said screens being disposed in coplanar relation and presenting a fiat front surface upon which said sheet is mounted, said screen being defined by narrow and closely spaced reticulated solid portions providing closely spaced interstices therebetween, the sheet having substantially complete and linear adhesive contact with the solid portions of said screen and thus exposing the remainder of the sheet through the interstices of the screen at its rear surface.

5. In the sign as defined in claim 4 wherein the last mentioned means includes parallel upstanding ribs formed on the outer faces of the border and bracing members and splines inserted between said ribs for anchoring marginal edge portions of the screens.

6. The display device as defined in claim 2 wherein the border members are of generally channel-like configuration and at least those border members which are adapted to abut the border of a similar posting member have their Web portions inclined inwardly from the front face of the posting member to insure contact between the front edges of such abutting border members regardless of any distortion thereof incurred by shrinkage of said sheet of material.

7. The display device as defined in claim 3 wherein the border members are of generally channel-like configuration and at least those border members which are adapted to abut the border of a similar posting member have their Web portions inclined inwardly from the front face of the posting member to insure contact between the front edges of such abutting border members regardless of any distortion thereof incurred by shrinkage of said sheet of material.

8. A display device comprising in combination, a support member disposed at a site suitable for the display of advertising media, a posting member, a sheet of paperlike material bearing advertising media on one side, adhesive means securing said sheet of material on its other side to the front face of said posting member, and means removably securing the posting member to said support whereby the posting member together with the sheet of material may be placed on and removed from the support so that the removal of an old sheet and the posting of a new sheet may be effected at a point remote from the site of the support, said posting member comprising an outer, rigid border and a plurality of intersecting bracing members secured to such border and dividing the open space defined by the border into a plurality of smaller spaces, a separate flexible screen covering each of such smaller spaces, and means mounting each screen upon the frame members bounding the associated smaller space and maintaining the same in taut relation with the front faces of all the screen panels in coplanar relation and presenting a flat front surface upon which said sheet is mounted, said screen being defined by narrow and closely spaced reticulated solid portions providing closely spaced interstices therebetween, the sheet having substantially complete and linear adhesive contact with the solid portions of said screen and thus exposing the remainder of the sheet through the interstices of the screen at its rear surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 890,631 Fitzgerald June 16, 1908 1,517,551 Fahrney Dec. 2, 1924 1,544,518 Freeman et a1 June 30, 1925 1,573,898 Armstrong Feb. 23, 1926 1,579,750 Beall Apr. 6, 1926 1,604,261 Conover Oct. 26, 1926 1,751,469 Bell Mar. 25, 1930 1,755,360 Olmsted Apr. 22, 1930 2,306,387 Huntley Dec. 29, 1942 2,463,432 Russell et a1 Mar. 1, 1949 

